Lanark County’s expected to enter an agreement with Linden Housing Co-op to provide rent supplement for eight of their affordable units at their next council meeting after resounding support at Wednesday’s community services meeting.
Director of Social Services Emily Hollington says the units will be filled with members on the county’s social housing registry.
The county is currently under the provincially mandated service levels target threshold of 771, sitting at 747. This new rent supplement agreement will inch them closer to their target.
Hollington says they’re struggling to find willing landlords to partake in their affordable housing programs because of provincial legislation around that registry.
Hollington’s noted there’s no additional costs to the 2025 budget by council going this route, and they can explore providing the co-op’s full initial request of 10 units next year.
There’s currently five vacant units within the county’s rent supplement program, so they’ll reallocate the necessary funds to cover the request on top of their Affordable Housing Capital Grant program.
Story by Grant Deme